How Buying a Florida Beach Home Works, Step by Step

By John and Nicole, Team BeachSide. Updated November 2026.

The short answer: A Florida purchase runs on a written contract with set deadlines: a deposit within days, an inspection period during which you can still walk away, then title work and closing through a title company. In Germany and many other countries a notary runs the sale. In Florida, your agent, the title company and, if you choose, your own attorney share that work. This guide follows a typical Pinellas beach purchase from the first showing to the recorded deed.

We are John and Nicole, licensed Florida Realtors with LoKation Real Estate. This is general information, not legal advice. Contract terms are negotiable, and your signed contract controls.

The timeline at a glance

These are the default deadlines on the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contracts when a blank is left empty (Lowndes). Most are counted from the Effective Date, the day the final offer is signed by both sides.

Step	Default deadline
Initial escrow deposit	3 days after the Effective Date
Inspection period ends	15 days after the Effective Date
Loan approval	30 days after the Effective Date
Resale condo document review	7 days after you receive the documents, not counting weekends and holidays
Closing	The date written in the contract; there is no default

Step 1: Choose your agent and sign a buyer agreement

Before you tour homes with a Realtor, in person or by video, you sign a written buyer agreement. The National Association of Realtors has required this of its members since August 17, 2024, except at open houses. The agreement states what your agent will be paid. That amount is negotiable and not set by law, and you can ask the seller to pay it as part of your offer (NAR).

In Florida, an agent is presumed to work as a transaction broker, which gives limited representation, unless you agree in writing to a single-agent relationship (F.S. 475.278).

Step 2: Line up your money

Most international buyers in Florida pay cash. If you will borrow, get a pre-approval from a lender with a foreign national program before you make offers. Our guide for international buyers covers financing, US tax registration and who can buy.

Step 3: Make an offer on the standard contract

Most Florida home sales use one of two Florida Realtors/Florida Bar forms. On the “AS IS” contract the seller makes no repairs, and you can cancel before the inspection period ends if you are not satisfied. The Standard contract sets repair limits instead, by default 1.5% of the price each for general repairs, wood-destroying organism (termite) damage and open permits (Standard contract form).

Your offer sets the price, the deposit, financing terms and the closing date. For a condo, a condominium rider covers association approval and any right of first refusal.

Step 4: Pay the escrow deposit

The contract names the escrow agent who holds your deposit: a broker, a title company or an attorney, and the choice is negotiable (Florida Realtors). A broker who holds it must deposit it by the end of the third business day (Rule 61J2-14.008). Before you wire money, confirm the instructions by phone with the escrow agent at a number you already have.

Step 5: Inspect and review the disclosures

Use the inspection period, 15 days by default, for:

• A general home inspection and a wood-destroying organism (termite) inspection.
• A 4-point inspection of the roof, electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Citizens Property Insurance requires one for homes more than 20 years old, and older roofs must show at least 5 years of remaining life (Citizens).
• A wind mitigation inspection. Florida insurers must offer discounts for features that reduce wind damage, and the report is valid for up to 5 years (F.S. 627.0629, Florida OIR).
• Insurance quotes for wind and flood, so you know the true cost of owning. See our flood zones and insurance guide and how to check a home’s flood history.

A seller must disclose known facts that materially affect the value of a home and that a buyer cannot readily see, even in an AS IS sale (The Florida Bar Journal). Florida law also requires a flood disclosure at or before signing: whether the seller knows of flood damage during their ownership, filed a flood insurance claim or received flood assistance such as FEMA aid (F.S. 689.302).

Step 6: Review the condo documents

When you buy a resale condo, the seller provides the association documents. Since July 1, 2025, you can cancel within 7 days after receiving them, not counting weekends and holidays; the right ends at closing and cannot be waived (F.S. 718.503). Check the budget, reserves, milestone inspection and SIRS, rental rules and any special assessments. Our condo inspections, reserves and SIRS guide and condo buyer checklist walk through each document.

If the association must approve buyers, the condominium rider sets the deadline. The title company also orders an estoppel certificate from the association, which states what the seller owes in dues and assessments.

Step 7: Title search and title insurance

The title company searches the public record for liens and ownership problems and issues title insurance. Florida sets title insurance premiums by rule, so the premium does not depend on which title company you use (F.S. 627.782); settlement and search fees do vary. Local title companies report that in Pinellas the seller customarily pays for the owner’s policy and chooses the title agent, but the contract can assign both either way (Atlantic Title Firm).

Step 8: Loan approval and the Closing Disclosure

If you finance, the contract gives you a loan approval period, 30 days by default. For a consumer mortgage, you must receive the Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing, and certain changes, such as an APR increase of more than 1/8 point, restart that clock (CFPB). The Florida Realtors/Florida Bar contracts allow closing to be extended up to 7 days for this.

Step 9: Closing costs

Florida charges documentary stamp taxes and an intangible tax at closing (Florida Department of Revenue, intangible tax). The contract decides who pays; these are the defaults on the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar forms and local custom.

Item	Rate	Usually paid by
Documentary stamp tax on the deed	$0.70 per $100 of the price	Seller
Owner’s title insurance policy	Premium set by state rule	Seller, by Pinellas custom
Documentary stamp tax on a new mortgage note	$0.35 per $100 of the loan	Buyer
Intangible tax on a new mortgage	0.2% of the loan	Buyer
Mortgage recording fees, loan costs and your inspections	Varies	Buyer

Florida property taxes are paid in arrears, so the seller credits you at closing for their share of the current year. Pinellas tax bills are mailed by November 1, and a second home or rental pays without the homestead exemption. See our property taxes after buying guide.

Step 10: Closing and recording the deed

You can sign remotely through online notarization; our guide for international buyers explains how. If you are financing, have your insurance in place before closing. After closing, the deed is recorded with the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court; electronic recording usually takes about 2 business days (Pinellas Clerk).

If you plan to rent the home, set up the state license and tax accounts before the first guest arrives. Our short-term rental rules guide lists what each beach town requires.

Next step

Tell us which beach towns you are considering, how you plan to use the property and your timing. We will send matching listings and walk you through each step. Contact Team BeachSide or call or text (727) 955-1222.

Sources are linked in each step. Contract defaults apply only when a blank is left empty; your signed contract controls. Laws, fees and customs change; verify with your agent, the title company or a Florida real estate attorney. General information, not legal or tax advice.